RTB readiness questioned as industry warns new rent register unlikely by March

RTB readiness questioned as industry warns new rent register unlikely by March

Letting agents and landlords face uncertainty as IPAV calls for six-month lead-in to new rent controls

15 January 2026 | 📧 editor@irishrealestate.news

A significant implementation gap is emerging around the Government’s planned rent control reforms, with industry body IPAV warning that the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is unlikely to be operationally ready by the 1 March deadline.

The Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers said the revised measures depend on the creation of a new, expanded RTB rent register, requiring substantial IT development, data verification and user training. While additional resources have been signalled for the RTB, IPAV argues the scale of change involved makes the proposed timeline unrealistic.

Under the new system, the public register is expected to include additional property-level data, including number of bedrooms, floor area, BER rating and rent payable. Data will be searchable by postcode rather than individual addresses, reflecting data-protection requirements. IPAV notes that compiling, validating and publishing this information will require significant logistical coordination.

IPAV chief executive Genevieve McGuirk said there is particular concern about the reliability of existing data, especially floor area measurements, which may be inaccurate in many cases. As the revised definition of “market rent” is heavily dependent on this register, she said the new rent-setting framework cannot function effectively until the database is complete and accurate.

For letting agents and landlords, the changes will also introduce new compliance requirements. These include the need to calculate rents using three comparable properties and to rely on register-based benchmarks that may not yet be fully populated. IPAV said agents and landlords will require time and training to adapt to the new system once enacted.

The warning comes against the backdrop of sustained operational pressure within the RTB. IPAV pointed to existing backlogs, including in dispute resolution, arguing that layering a major new regulatory and data function onto the organisation risks further delays across the sector.

IPAV is calling for a minimum six-month lead-in period following enactment of the legislation. Without this, it warned of significant disruption for renters, property owners and letting agents, including delays and uncertainty in rent setting and compliance.

Ms McGuirk also referenced the recent report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage on pre-legislative scrutiny of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2025, to which IPAV made a submission. She noted that none of the contributors to the process concluded that the proposed reforms would reduce rents, nor that they would materially address homelessness.

IPAV reiterated that housing supply remains the central issue. While it said the work of the Accelerating Infrastructure Task Force offers some grounds for optimism, it cautioned that any impact on delivery and affordability is unlikely to be immediate.